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<title>Front Lawn Goodbyes by LittleRedRoseontheValley (TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns)</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28018965">Front Lawn Goodbyes</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns/pseuds/LittleRedRoseontheValley'>LittleRedRoseontheValley (TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Freshman Series (Visual Novels)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Goodbyes, Romance, Summer Vacation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:47:48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,001</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28018965</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns/pseuds/LittleRedRoseontheValley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Chris drops Emily at her home for the Summer holidays. They will miss each other.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chris Powell/Main Character (The Freshman)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Front Lawn Goodbyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was May 19<sup>th</sup>, 2017. The day was warm in New England, and even as she tied her red hair up, wore her daisy print sandals and a strap dress, she still felt the need to fan herself to be rid of the heavy air coming into her lungs and made it hard to breathe. Alas, she did not look for cover from the harsh sunlight.</p><p>Climbing down from the old truck hand in hand with Chris, she pulls along her suitcases and bags filled with her belongings from the dorm, feeling heavy-hearted that most of it would remain unused, stuffed inside her closet until Labour Day, in September.</p><p>Emily had just finished her Freshman year at Hartfeld University, and was now on the front lawn of her parents’ home, trying to find the will to come inside. She worries briefly that her father would turn on the sprinklers to tear them apart if she dallied much longer, but she did not find on herself to care.</p><p>She arrived home earlier than expected, and neither one of her parents had to pick her up across state lines. Her boyfriend insisted that he would drop her off at home in Rhode Island as he made his way north, heading to Maine.</p><p>The past year has been full of new experiences, good and bad, but it has ultimately been one of the best years of her life. She conquered college on the back of her own intrepidness. She made new friends and helped shaping the aspect and future of her school. She made do with one of the most difficult professors of the Eastern Seaboard. One of her best friends became her boyfriend, and she have gone spelunking into the uncharted cave of dating.</p><p>The first few months of their relationship had been forged in conflict and drama, in a collegiate dispute with a stereotypical wealthy mean girl. The next stretch of the journey had been new and exciting for the pair of eighteen-year-olds, even if equally dramatic, uncovering the delights of dating during Winter in Connecticut and late-night bedroom exploits in their suite, all on the while dealing with the rest of their world that seemed to fall apart.</p><p>The two months ahead, however, are dark and unsure, as she part ways for the Summer, filled with hope and anxiety about keeping the relationship strong and steady for the years to come.</p><p>Emily looks over across the lawn. Her mother was curtain-twitching, trying to get a glimpse on whom was accompanying her. She did not want her to come and see, as the woman was most certainly wearing some gaudy dress that would embarrass her prematurely.</p><p>She sets her baggage on the floor and moves to stand in front of Chris, obstructing Mrs. Harper’s sharp view of their exchange, taking his hands on hers. She carefully watches his face and see sadness and reluctance in his features.</p><p>They would be meeting again in early September, as Zack and Kaitlyn had come up with a road trip through the US on a yellow Kombi his uncle used to go to Woodstock in the 1960’s. It did not keep them from feeling like they would die dramatically from sadness over being apart.</p><p>“I’m not sure if I am ready to go back home.” Chris confesses sombrely.</p><p>“I’m not sure if I am ready to let you go.” She agrees, quietly.</p><p>He loves and misses his mother and his siblings, but he had expressed again and again his discomfort at going back in Cherryfield and being the White trash kid that used to date the mayor’s daughter for a while. He dreamed about returning after he made a name for himself, after he has given a better life and an education to his siblings, and he is a long way from there, yet. It was suffocating at times.</p><p>Despite her own familial skeletons in the closet, such as her own trashiness, she has offered to ask her dad if he could stay at their home for a while, but he would always decline decisively, expressing his hope that it will get better. She appreciates his attempts at optimism and his desire to see the best in people, but it was no pretext to ease her concerns.</p><p>“You have to text me, and call me whenever you want, and we’ll video chat every weekend. It is the only thing that will keep me from banging at your door like a madman in June.” He says, giving her a half-hearted smile.</p><p>Emily nods, a small laughter trying to jump off her lips but not finding as much of a clout, as her mood is not much on a joking note. She reaches up to tenderly brush her thumb over his cheek. His blue eyes close shut to enjoy the caress.</p><p>“Chris, I…” She whispers, pausing, hand tracing his jaw, fingertips running down his neck, over the curve of his Adam's apple, trying to memorize the feel for the coming months. “I have never felt this way before.”</p><p>His bright eyes move across her face in a teasing fashion, the brunet head tilting to the side.</p><p>“And what way is that?” He asks, an excited smile erupting on his expression, his eyes beaming with light. She had the power to set him on fire just by looking at him, and he found he liked it.</p><p>“In love. I am in love with you.” She says, simply, looking at him from under her lashes.</p><p>His full, pouty lips descend to meet hers in a slow, soft kiss, pouring his never-ending love and devotion into it. The pressure eases, and she pulls away to see his eyes fluttering open and a smile spreading across his face.</p><p>“I love you, Emily Harper.” He whispers, like a secret prayer between just the two of them. “And I can’t wait to see you again.”</p><p>With those parting words, he kisses she one last time, and turns to brave the summer at home.</p>
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